I urge the Broadcasting Commission to clamp down on the broadcast of profanity in the electronic media. The latest example was on CVM TV, which sometime after 1 a.m. on Tuesday broadcast a movie with at least two expletives. This is not the first time I have written publicly about the impunity with which electronic media, particularly CVM, operate.

Both major local television stations have been guilty of allowing profanity to 'slip' - day and night - whether in movies, interviews and during coverage of Premier League football matches.

Stop the pussyfooting

Radio stations also play many songs which have dozens of bleeps, which do little to lessen the effect of the vulgarity which masquerades as lyrical content. And, of course, every month or so a disc jock fails to catch expletives in time. Media managers must get tough and stop the pussyfooting.

But why bother? It's not as if anyone will get fired? It's not as if anyone will be fined?

Of course, there is always the fear that government intervention in the press could lead to censorship for political gain, but the scandalous level of monitoring by media heads and the Broadcasting Commission suggests they are busy doing everything except their jobs.

Civil society must put its foot down and demand higher standards. We owe it to ourselves and our children. Stiffer penalties must be applied.

I am, etc.,

ANDRÉ WRIGHT

andrestchristopher@hotmail.com